Deals of the day-Mergers and acquisitions

3 Min Read

(Adds EBRD, Atlantia, Sika, Biotest, Aurora Cannabis)

Jan 19 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals were reported by 2100 GMT on Friday:

** A group of investors led by SoftBank Group Corp closed a deal with Uber Technologies Inc, making SoftBank the largest stakeholder in the ride-services firm and providing a much-needed boost to controversy-ridden Uber.

** The U.S. government will not approve any investment by HNA Group until the Chinese conglomerate, which has been scrutinized around the world over its ownership structure, provides adequate information on who its shareholders are, a source familiar with the situation said.

** China’s HNA said it had hired banks to look for buyers of its majority stake in Spain’s NH Hotel Group , just days after NH turned down a takeover offer from Spanish peer Barcelo.

** Ajit Jain, who was recently appointed a vice chairman of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc, on Thursday reported ownership of roughly $109 million of the conglomerate’s stock.

** Canadian marijuana producer Aurora Cannabis Inc is in talks with rivals CanniMed Therapeutics Inc and Newstrike Resources Ltd to acquire both companies in a friendly deal, people familiar with the situation told Reuters.

** Fortum has received just 46.93 percent of shares in German energy group Uniper, which the Finnish company is trying to buy via a 8.05 billion euros ($9.88 billion) takeover bid.

** Lincoln Financial Group said it would buy fellow insurer Liberty Life Assurance Co of Boston for about $3.3 billion from Liberty Mutual to boost its presence in the group benefits market.

** Urenco, the world’s second largest nuclear fuel vendor after Russia’s Tenex, said it was not in discussion with the Japanese government about the sale of its business.

** Boeing Co is working to overcome the Brazilian military’s objections to its proposed tie-up with Embraer SA with alternatives that would preserve the government’s strategic veto rights and ensure safeguards for its defense programs, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

** The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is in talks over a possible sale of a 15 percent stake in mid-sized Russian bank SDM to Expobank, two sources close to the talks told Reuters.

** Biotest said that it has sold its U.S. operations, allaying national security concerns by U.S. authorities and paving the way for the German company’s sale to a Chinese investor.

** Italian airports and motorway operator Atlantia said it would call a shareholder meeting to vote on changes to its offer for Spanish rival Abertis, as it seeks to strengthen its hand in a bid battle.

** Sika’s rising share price could bring an end to a long-running takeover fight with French construction group Saint-Gobain, Sika CEO Paul Schuler told Finanz und Wirtschaft in an interview. (Compiled by Ahmed Farhatha and Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru)